1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a developer supply device for supplying a developer for an image forming apparatus, such as an electrophotographic copier, a laser-beam printer or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses, wherein a developer supply container, serving as a developer accomodating container, is used to supply a dry-type developer (toner), have been known.
There are various kinds of toner supply methods using the developer supply container. In one method, toner is supplied from a toner supply container having a slidably openable cover.
In this method, after positioning the developer supply container at a predetermined supply position of the main body of an image forming apparatus, the slidably openable cover of the developer supply container is opened to supply toner within the container to the side of the main body of the apparatus.
Various methods may be considered for positioning the developer supply container at a predetermined position. A method may, for example, be considered wherein, after mounting the developer supply container at a supply position of the main body of the apparatus, the container is more or less slidalby moved relative to the main body for positioning the container on the main body.
However, in the method wherein the developer supply container is slidably moved relative to the main body of the apparatus to position the container on the main body, and the openable cover is then slid in the same direction and opened to supply toner within the container to the main body, a case may arise wherein the openable cover is opened in a state that the developer supply container is not sufficiently slidably moved relative to the main body, that is, in the state that the container is not properly positioned relative to the main body.
In such a case, since an opening of the main body of the apparatus is not exactly positioned relative to an opening of the developer supply container, toner within the developer supply container adheres to the neighborhood of the opening of the main body, thus staining the main body.
When the developer supply container is detached after supplying toner, it is preferred that the developer supply container can be detached in the state that the openable cover is sufficiently closed from the viewpoint of preventing the scattering of the toner.